In contrast to the spare live work of Shelter for an Evening, on
Life Full of Holes Chris & Carla brought in a wide range of friends and fellow performers to create an evocative album easily the equal of
the Walkabouts' best efforts. Guests range from
R.E.M.'s
Peter Buck and
Tindersticks, who perform in full on two separate songs, to other Seattle-area musicians such as
Scott McCaughey and
Steve Fisk. One guest, Richard "Dugout Dick" Zimmerman, is even recorded in his cave in Idaho, his vocals and guitar on "Sandy River Moon" at the center of a droning, instrumental piece of experimentation. At the heart of it all remain
Chris & Carla themselves, though, their understated but passionate performances and often haunting songs shining with a dark beauty throughout. The first full song, "Storm Crazy," one of the
Buck collaborations, sets the tone appropriately.
Torgerson's classically American folk/country vocals suit the warning lyric, laden with images of impending doom and destructive love, perfectly, while the stately, measured music is equally strong. Indeed, the lyrics are especially strong throughout, many calling to mind the atmospheric metaphors of
Bob Dylan's strongest work, others simple but powerful, from "Sleep Will Pass Us By" ("This town died, but they forgot the funeral") to the late-night mood of "Velvet Fog" ("
Nirvana's on the jukebox, but
Gene Pitney owns this town"). Musically, everything from baroque European folk tunes to avant-garde noisemaking surfaces, creating an overall feeling of hushed power throughout. There are almost too many highlights to pick out, but one thorough winner is an old
George Jones chestnut, "Take Me," with
Tindersticks backing the duo and that band's singer
Stuart Staples duetting wonderfully with
Torgerson à la
Lee Hazlewood and
Nancy Sinatra. Another is the title track, where
Torgerson's melodica adds even more mystery to the proceedings. Simply put,
Life Full of Holes is an underrated gem by consistently underrated performers. ~ Ned Raggett